Box-strapping machine



July 7, 1925.

C. I... DREW ET AL BOX STRAPPING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 1, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I C/ayfon I /7l/ fie flame/7 Jr BY Ma W A TTORNEYS.

M7 as July 7, 1925. 1,545,407

(I. L. DREW ET AL BOX STRAPPING MACHINE Original Filed 001;. 1, 1920 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS C7ayf0n L Drew #0 /7 0e Hal/eh J1.

July 7, 1925.

C. L. DREW ET AL BOX STRAPPING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 1, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR5 C/ayfan L flrew Patented July 7, 1925. 1

UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE.

CLAYTON L. DREW AND HUGH DE HAVEN, 311., SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AS

SIGNORS 'IO TIE-IT MACHINES CO., 01 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A. CORPORA- TION OF CALIFORNIA.

BOX-STBAPPING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CLAYTON L. DREW and 'HUGH DE HAVEN, Jr., citizens of the United States of America, residing at $an Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Box-Strapping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a continuation of our application Serial Number 414,108, filed October 1st, 1920.

This inventionrelates to a new, novel and useful improvement in box strapping machines wherein a strand of wire is placed about a box for the purpose of protecting the box during shipment. I

An object of the invention is to provide a machine for tightening and securing a wire around a box or package, in which a single operating lever is employed, movement of the lever in one direction serving to draw the wire tightly around the package and movement of the lever in the reverse direction back to its normal position, serving to twist adjacent portions of the wire together to form a tie and also preferably to cut the ends of the wire extending beyond the tie.

Another object of the invention is to construct a machine of this character which will be portable, light in weight and consequently easy to handle without fatiguing the operator.

Another object is to construct a-machine which will be's imple of operation, with a result that an ordinary unskilled laborer can manipulate the same.

Another object is to construct a machine which will be simple to manufacture and consequently can be marketed at a price well within the reach of the average individual. Other objects and advantages will be seen in the description which follows: A

. In this specification and the annexed drawings the invention is illustrated in a form considered to be thebest, but it is to be understood that the invention is not 414,108, filed October 1, 1920. This application filed September 27, 1922. Serial No. 590,958.

limited to said form because it may be embodied in other forms, and it is also to be understood thatin and by the claims following the description, it is desired to cover the invention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete machine, having a portion broken away.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the machine as shown in Figure 1-. V

Figure 3 is an elevation taken looking in the direction of the arrow at of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the machine in use upon a box.

Figure '5 is a portion of a strand of wire, illustrating the twist made by the machine.

Figure 6 is an elevation of the machine looking in the direction of the arrow 6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a gear lock.

Figure 8 is a section, illustrating the manner of mounting the gear upon the cams.

Figure 9 is a partial longitudinal section through the twisting gear.

The machine of our invention consists generally of a portable tool, adapted to rest on the package to be strapped, having means the ends of-the wire extending beyond the tie. The cutting off means may be omitted when desired and the movement of the lever from and back to normal position serve to tighten and tie the wire, but we prefer to incorporate the cutting means, thus, pro

' upon the cam member 12.

viding a tool by which the entire operation is performed by one complete movement of the single lever.

Referrin numeral 6 esignates a base late, havin a contour as is best shown in igure 2. is base plate supports standards 7 and 8, which standards form journals for a shaft 9, which shaft is free to rotate therein, as will be later described.

The shaft 9 forms a support for cam inem-" bers 11 and 12, which are also 'freeto rotate about the shaft 9 within certainlimits, as will be later described. 7

By referring to Figure 8, it willbe'noted that thecams are recessed as at 15 soas to provide for the floating gear 13.

This gear 13' is adapted to mesh with a gear 14, which gear is. formed with stub.-

shafts 20 projecting therefrom and supported in pillow blocks 16' and 17, to provide suitable journal bearings for the gear,

The yoke 19 serves to pivotally support gear dogs 24 and 26, as is best shown in Figures 1, 2- and 6. These gear dogs are held towards each other by a spring 27 and are adapted to engage recesses cut in the side faces of the gear 13, as is best shown in Figure 3 at 28 and 29, it being understood that there are two sets of these recesses diametrically opposite each other.

In order to withdraw these gear dogs from their engagement with the recesses 28 and 29 at a predetermined point, they are adapted to contact with members 31 and 32. The member 31 is a lug cast upon the base and the member 32 is a gear lock pivoted to the lug 33, also cast upon the base 6, which gear lock is adapted to enter a recess 35, cut in the side of a gear 13.

This gear lock is maintained in fixed positions by the placing of a lock washer (not shown) between it and its pivotal connection. The function of a lock washer is well known and needs no further description.

The numeral 34 refers to a spring wound about the shaft 9, and havingjone end engaging a portion of the yoke 19, and having its opposite. end engaging cam 11. This spring is coiled in a direction which will cause further tightening when the handle 18 is moved in the direction. indicated by to the drawings in detail, the

pivoted, as shown at 38 and 39' upon the base 6. Thesearms each have an inwardly projecting portion 41 and each carries a roller 42 at the extremity of said projection.

The object of said rolleris to contact with.

the vertical cam, faces 43 and. 44, as isbest seen in Figures 1 and 3;

These arms 36' and. 37 carry. or have formed at: their free ends wire. holding means.-v -The :holding means, shown upon the arm 37, consists of an opening 46 formed in the end of the arm on a slant, so that when the end of the strand of wire is placed there-- in it'may be bent so as to lie in a milled groove 47.

The gripper, shown on the arm 36 consists of a'block 48 pivoted at the end of the arm by means of links 49. The opposing faces of the block and the arm having teeth formed thereon, so that when-the block is swungupon the links it will cause a gripping action upon any obj'ect which may be there between.

By referring to Figures 1 and 3, it will be noted that cutters 51 and. 52 are pivoted to wire. guides 53 and 54 which guides are attached 'to the base 6.

The cutter 51 isactuated thru its contact with a pin 56 carried upon the yoke 19 and'is held in contact therewith by a spring 57. The cutter 52 is likewise actuated by having its extremity abut the rear end of the yoke 19 as the handle is returned from its forward position as is best shown in Figures 4 and 3. This cutter is also kept in contact therewith through the medium of a spring, as shown at 58.

In order that the parallel portions of the wire may be received by the twisting device an elongated slot 25 is provided by recessing the pillow blocks 16 and 17. Stub shafts 20, and the guides 53 are likewise slotted or divided, as at 30, in order that the wire ends may pass there through.

Pins 59 and 61 are provided to limit the movement of the arms 36 and 37.

The operation of the machine is as follows i 7 Assuming the machine to be placed upon the top of the box to be strapped, as shown in Figure 4, theone end of the strand of wire is grasped and the end inserted in the opening 46. The wire is then bent so as to lie in a groove 47,.passed thru'theguide 53, slotted pillow blocks 16"and 17 and slotted gear 14 and guide 54; thence around the box on other object; thence through the guides and gears, as: before mentioned, in such a manner that the free end will be gripped in the'space between the end of the arm 36 and the-block 48 to the left asshown in the drawing, a grippingaction is commenced- By a pa aria.

and revolving in the direction of the arrow of Figure 1, the following will'take place:

The lug formed on the yoke 19 will contact with the cam 11 andthe pin 22 will contact with the lug 23 of the cam 12 and will impart rotation thereto about the shaft 9. This rotation will act upon the rollers 42 and cause the arms 36 and 37 to move about their pivot points 38 and 39, thereby drawing the ends of the wire and tightening the strand which passes around the box. At the same time, as the ends of these arms travel in an arc, the wires will be drawn toward the center of the gear, or, in other words, into proper alignment in the slot, passing across the entire front of the machine.

During the forward movement of the handle 18the gear 13 is held against rotation by the gear lock 32, which has its nose in the recess formed in the gear 13, and as a spring washer is placed between the gear lock 32 and its pivot support, the same will stay in engagement therewith until withdrawn. When the handle 18-reaches a point substantially 180 from its illustrated position, the dogs 24 and 26 will engage the recesses in the gear 13, as shown at 28 and 29 in Figure 3, and at thispoint a pin carried upon the face of the cam 11 will have come into contact with the cam face of the gear lock, and will have withdrawn the same from its recess 35.

At this period, the wire will be under tension from the act-ion of the cams and. the

gear lock will have been withdrawn. The dogs 24 and 26 will have engaged the gear recesses 28 and 29 and the machine is ready for a twisting or. backward stroke.

This backward stroke causes the gear 13 to rotate the gear 14 and to twist the wire, as shown in Figure 5, the ends being held against twisting by passing through the guides 53 and 54. The openings or slots 30 are made large enough to accommodate only the thickness of a single strand of wire; in other words, the openings are not large enough to permit one strand to ride over the otherconsequently they will be main.- tained in parallel relation in substantially the same horizontal plane.

Vhen the handle reaches the position shown in Figure 6 the ends of the dogs 24 and 26 will engage the lug 31 and gear lock 32 respectively, which action will be to withdraw the dogs from contact with the gear lock into its recess 35. Further downward action of the handle will act upon the cuttersas is-obvious. The cutter 51 as shown in Figure 2 will cut the inner wire or first end-passed through the slot 30, while the cutter 52 passes under the inner wire and cuts the outer wire or second end passed and the other cutting from beneath-,as is.

' illustrated in Figure3 where the rear of the cutter 52 is best shown.

: Assoon as these ends are cut, the tension is relieved from the cams, and the spring 34 w1ll return them to then normal position as illustrated in Figure 1. As soon as these cams are returned, the spring 40 will return the arms 26 and 27 to their normal position. The springs on the cutters'are of such a tension that they will withdraw the cutters so as to clear the slot across the front of the machine and at the same time will act upon the pin 56 to raise the handle 18 to its neutral position.

Thus it will be seen that a machine has been produced which will stretch, twist, and cut off the ends of the wire through the operation of a single lever, which is rotated able in one direction for rotating the cams and capable of rotating the gear upon a movement in a reverse direction, a wire twisting device, including a slotted gear and meshing with said first named gear; the slot in said gear adapted to receive the wire to be twisted, guides operati-vely associated with the said slotted'gear and disposed on opposite sides thereof, a wire tensioning device operatively associated with said guides, the rotation of said cams adapted to actuate said tensioning device and the rotation of .the first.namedgear adapted to actuate said wire twisting device.

3. In a box strapping machine, a base, a shaft mountedabove said base and parallel therewith, opposing cams mounted with freedom of rotation on said shaft and attached one to the other, a gear mounted with freedom of rotation between said cams and supported thereon, a slotted gear adapted to receive the wire to be twisted, a handle adapted to be rotated about said shaft, a U shaped yoke portion integral with said handle, and adapted'to straddle said cams and said gear, dogs carried on said handle, said dogs bein adapted to engage the sides of said gear or the purpose of. imparting said cams independently of .said gear when lfortensioning the .oppositeends of a strand of wire.

4. Inadevice of the character described,

a base, a-shaft journaled upon said base, a-

pair of cams mounted upon said shaft, a gear mounted with freedom of rotation between said cams, a handle movable in one "direction to rotate-the cams, dogs carried by the handle adapted toengage said gear when the handle is moved in a reverse direction, a slotted gear carried upon the base meshing with said first named gear, said slotted gear adapted to receive the wire to' twisted, wire guides .on opposite sides of .said slotted gear, awire tensioning device on opposite sides of said guides, said ten-' sioning device being operatively associated with said cams, and cutters disposed on opposite sides of the slot-ted gear, said cutters being operatively associated with the handie, and adapted to be actuated thereby when the handle is moved in a direction to rotate the first named gear.

5. In a device of the character described, a base, a shaft supported above said base, opposing cams freely mounted on said shaft, a gear freely mounted between said cams, arms pivoted to said base, grippers carried at the free ends of said arms, rollers mounted on said arms and adapted to contact said cams, slotted guides carried on said base and in juxtaposition to the ends of said arms when in their retracted position, cutters pivoted to said guides, a gear provided with a slot mounted between said guides and adapted to mesh with said first mentioned gear, said slot being adapted to register with the slots in said guides, and a yoke carried on said shaft, which when moved in one direction about said shaft, rotates said cams, and when moved in a reverse direction, rotates said gears.

6. In a device of the character described, a base, a shaft supported above said base, opposing cams freely mounted on said shaft,

a gear freely mounted between said cams,

arms pivoted to said base, grippers carried at the free ends of said arms, rollers mounted onsaid arms and adapted to contact said cams, slotted guides carried on said base and in juxtaposition to the ends of said arms when in their retracted position, cutters pivoted to said guides, a gear provided with a slot mounted between said guides and adapted to mesh with said first mentioned gear, said slot being adapted to register with the slots in said guides, a yokefcarriedon said shaft, which when moved in one direction about said shaft, rotates said cams, and

when moved in a reverse direction rotates said gears, and means for locking said gears.

against rotation, but in one direction.

7 Ina device of the kind described means to hold the ends of a wire in overlapping position, wire twisting means disposed between the first mentioned means, and a single operating lever arranged to successively separate the wire holding. means and therefore tension the wire and actuate the wire twisting (means.

off the surplus wire.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination of means for tightening a wire around a box with the end portions thereof held substantially parallel to one another, means for twisting said end portlons, and means common to both the tightening and twisting means for successively actuating the same, said means comprising a lever movable in one direction to tighten the wire and movable in a reverse direction to twist the same.

10. A box strapping machine provided with an operating lever which, by swinging in one direction exerts a cam-like action upon the gripping devices to produce the desired stretching of the box strapping and. by swinging in the opposite direction, drives the twisting mechanism and the cutting mechanism, whereby the successive operations of stretching, twisting, cutting and releasing of the box strapping are accomplished by each complete oscillation of said operating lever.

11. A box strapping machine co n'iprising wire tensioning means, wire twisting means and actuating means movable from normal position to actuate the tensioning means and back to normal position to actuate the twisting means.

12. A box strapping machine comprising wire tensioning means. wire twisting ineuus and a single lever movable in one d rection from normal position to actuate the ten- H slomng means and movable 1n the reverse prising wire tensioning means, wire twisting means and actuating means adapted to be reciprocated to successively actuate said tensionmg and twlsting means.

14. In a wire tying machine, the combi- V nation of a frame, a lip projecting from the front edge of the frame, members provided with slots for holding two portions of a wire in parallel contact arranged over 0posite sides of the lip, a wire twisting gear ournalled on said frame and disposed beopposite sides of said lip, means on the 10 levers adapted to engage and hold the wire and means for moving said levers to tension the wire.

In testlmony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

CLAYTON L. DREW. HUGH DE HAVEN, JR. 

